


Prison of Memory

by joshuaorrizonte



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Nightmares, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-25
Updated: 2019-11-25
Packaged: 2021-02-18 11:30:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21560458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joshuaorrizonte/pseuds/joshuaorrizonte
Summary: Asra normally sleeps soundly; very little can wake him once he's asleep. However, when he's awoken by his lover's nightmare and can't wake them, he's determined to help them fight it.
Relationships: Apprentice/Asra (The Arcana)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 45





	Prison of Memory

**Author's Note:**

> So ApprenticeOfCups on Tumblr did a headcanon post of the main 6 with an apprentice who's having a nightmare they can't wake up from. Their HC for Asra just begged for me to fic it. So here it is. Thanks to ApprenticeOfCups for his great headcanons.

Asra slept soundly, usually. Once he got to sleep, little could wake him. But a smack to the side of the head definitely could wake him, and he jerked awake, looking around, stunned, for the culprit. 

He felt his lover twitch again before he figured it out, and looked down at them in alarm. Their face was twisted in fear, and his heart lurched as they whimpered in their sleep. Asra shook them, calling their name, but they slept on, twitching and crying out. 

Asra tried a few times to get their attention, to no avail. He drew away from them, running his hands through his hair in anxiety. This nightmare sounded like a particularly bad one, and while it wasn’t unusual for them to have nightmares- especially not since facing the Devil- it _was_ unusual for him to be unable to wake them from it. Asra wasn’t sure what to do. 

After just a few more moments of thought, he got out of bed and lit all of the lanterns in the room, hoping the light would wake them. He watched hopefully as he lit the last one, and hope crumbled as they slept on, the quiet punctuated by a particularly loud cry from them. “A-Asra-!”

Asra went back to them, sitting on the edge of the bed and taking their hand. “I’m here,” he said soothingly, brushing their hair back from their face. Their skin was clammy, pale, and still they slept on. 

At another cry, Asra let go of them and stood, determined to do something about this. They first lit incense- lavender, for a calming atmosphere- and then laid back down beside them, taking their hand. He winced as their fingers closed over his like a vice and whispered soothing words. “Hang on,” he murmured, stroking their cheek. “I’m coming. Everything will be fine.”

They called out for him again in response, and Asra did his best to shut them out, closing his eyes and breathing deeply. If he couldn’t wake them up, then the only thing for him to do was to find their nightmare and bring them home himself.

Reality fell away as he reached with his magic, through their connection, their shared heart. Forging the connection with them was as easy as breathing for him, and he quickly felt his reality merging with theirs. 

All at once, Asra was in their dream, and looking around, he abruptly understood why this nightmare was so distressing to them. He stood in the Devil’s throne room, the Devil looming over him. They were beside him; Asra’s mind turned quickly as the Devil hurled black fire at them. “No!” Asra cried, their name falling from his lips in terror as they leaped in front of him, shielding him from the fire. 

They staggered, and Asra reached out to steady them as the fire seared around them and died out. Then, shaking himself, he remembered: this was a dream. The Devil couldn’t hurt them. “Listen to me!” Asra urged them. “This is only a dream! You have to wake up!”

Their eyes lit up in understanding, but before they could say anything, the Devil laughed. “You sound very sure of yourself,” he sneered. “Are you willing to bet your soul on it, Asra?”

“Asra, no!” they cried, clutching at him desperately. 

Asra gently pushed them away, but there was nothing gentle about his voice as he challenged, “You’re on.”

His lover staggered away from him as chains, black, burning chains, erupted from the ground and wrapped around him. The pain was excruciating- but only for a second, as Asra breathed deep and focused on the fact that he was, indeed, in a dream. The Devil could do nothing to hurt him. He shrugged off the chains, eyebrow quirked at the Devil. “Well?” he prompted.

“Impossible.” The word was spoken by both his lover and the Devil. Asra chose to focus on his lover, turning to them fully. Their eyes were lit up in wonder. “How-?”

“I told you, this is just a dream.” Asra’s voice was gentle again. “I couldn’t wake you up from it so I came after you. You have to wake up. Please.”

Asra took their hand and lifted it to his lips, kissing their knuckles. Their gaze flicked frantically between Asra and the Devil. Asra could heat the Devil raging at them, and said softly, “Do you think he’d be letting us stand here ignoring him if he were real? Come home with me. This is just a dream. Nothing here can hurt you.”

With a little sob, they threw themselves into his arms. He hugged them tightly as they sobbed in relief. The Devil gave one last roared protest before he shattered into nothing; Asra put a hand to the back of their head, holding them still as the illusion of the realm shattered as well. 

He took a deep breath as his eyes fluttered open; the incense still burned where he left it, the soothing scent now heavy in the air. Beside him, his lover gasped as their eyes snapped open; “Welcome home,” Asra said with a tired smile. “Are you alright?”

“I am now,” they replied, leaning into him. He put his arms around them, nuzzling against their neck. “What happened? Why did you-“

“I couldn’t wake you up,” Asra said, his voice hushed and worried. “I tried calling to you, shaking you- I just couldn’t snap you out of it.” He paused. “How long have you been having these nightmares?”

They sighed. “Since we got back from the Devil’s realm. I tried to not let it bother me. I know they’re just dreams, that he can’t hurt us anymore. But I-“

“It’s not so simple, is it?” Asra said, when they cut themselves off. “I can teach you a spell. I developed it myself, after- after the fourth time I had nightmares myself. Honestly, had I known you were suffering from them too...”

His voice trailed off. “I’m sorry,” they murmured.

“Don’t apologize to me. You’re the one who’s been suffering for months. I’ll teach you right now, so you don’t have to be afraid of going to sleep.”

“It’s late, though, and you need-“

“I need to know that you’re able to rest. It’ll only take a few minutes. Now, here’s what I need you to do...”


End file.
